Alalou, E. and Alalou, A., Essakalli, J. K. (Ills.). (2008). The butter man. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge. ISBN: 978-1-58089-127-1.

Annotation – Waiting for the vegetables and the couscous to cook is challenging for Nora. Her father tells her a story about his boyhood in Morocco when he had little to eat and a taste for butter.

Media used for illustrations – gouache on Arches paper

Rating for quality and illustrations: 2 quality of text and 3 quality of illustrations – 2 popularity

Curricular Connection  â€“ Upper elementary students could do worse in their geography class if they read this sort of memoir about growing up in the high mountains of Morocco. Understanding the geography of the region and the necessity of relying on rail fall for growing crops, could be illustrative to students. Describing how couscous is usually served in the author’s home can be a springboard for discussing how it is prepared in the student’s homes. A personal narrative with illustrations about one’s life may be an assignment for students to work on for a few months.

Nancy